Written by For a prompt of “black sheep” on Star Wars Day, I figured I’d geek out to it with a rendition of a LEGO Minifigure of Darth Vader. As a kid, I was a huge Star Wars fan, and well, still am today. While I collected action figures as a kid, as an adult, I love the LEGO Star Wars sets and the little figures that come along with them like a prize inside. It takes me back to my childhood where I would dream of traveling to a distant galaxy to meet strange new creatures and experience a world of adventure. That hasn’t happened yet, but I have experienced lots of wonderful new experiences in my art journey. That Little Charlie who loved Star Wars, was always a bit old for his age back then, and is now a bit young. Much of the time back then, I felt a bit like I didn’t fit in. This was mostly because I would chase whatever dream I wanted to chase and didn’t worry whether it was something “in” or popular. I wasn’t really bothered, though, that I wasn’t one of the cool kids. I liked being me. It was always a lot of fun! And today, I think if we’re having fun and enjoying our lives, then we’re always going to be popular with ourselves. That, in the end, is what matters most.
There were so many times when I was a kid that I would find a moment when I questioned what I was doing. That moment when you wonder if what you’re doing might matter to others. When you come up with an idea that’s really new, this always happens. There’s no proof that what you want to do is something that anyone else might enjoy at all. For me, this seems to always be the world which I inhabit. I have a cool idea and I excitedly want to share it with everyone I can. It’s only after sharing it that I realize that not all the keywords line up and I’ve actually created something a bit too new. We live in a world that’s controlled by algorithms, so real success in this world is creating something pretty much the same, but just a touch different. That’s the cleverest approach, but I’m not interested in being clever. I have a strong urge to follow my heart and what it tells me to DO next. Nearly everything I post is not what I know I should post next, but I just love sharing what my inner child tells me to make.
So, yes, I’m not one to tell people how to blog properly, but if you want to blog happily than I’m your guy! I’ve totally enjoyed this journey and everything that’s happened along the way. I thank you, dear reader, from the bottom of my heart for joining me along the way! It’s quite true that when you show up to one of my Doodlewash posts, you’ll never really know exactly what you’re going to get. I hope you enjoy the bit of surprise that happens here. It’s a story born from a kid who didn’t quite fit in. One who was all about heart and never bothered with the current trends. But, part of me has to champion and acknowledge all of those wonderful creative people who do whatever they want to DO next. I think that’s the best approach to life and art that we can ever hope to follow. If we want someone to love what we do, then we first need to love it ourselves. Our own passions are the best thing we can ever hope to share with others. It’s that beautiful and uniquely personal contribution that can only come from a galaxy far, far away.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Vermilion, Leaf Green, and Indigo. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with black ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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Love your mini-DarthVader! One of the reasons I’ve never been interested in doing art for pay is because I know then I’d have to do what I believed would bring money, not what I wanted to do. I’ve always been pretty sure that what I wanted to do wouldn’t bring money because I bounce around doing something different all the time. If someone loves what I’ve done and wants to give me millions of dollars for it, I wouldn’t say no, though.
Thanks so much, Sandra! 😃💕Glad you liked this! And so true!! hehe… yeah, I’ve always kept art my side hobby. Maybe one day, I’ll change my approach, but you’re right… this way is way more fun!
Reading your posts is always a pleasure. Each one is a happy little present I get to open. May The Force be with you always!
That’s such a sweet thing to say, Sharon! 😃💕 Thank you SO much! And may the force be with you as well my friend! 😉
Your mini Darth Vader is awesome and so like the Lego character! #1 Grandson is a huge Lego fan and collects as many as he can, then sets about making up his own creations which kinda drives me nuts, but I do love his creativity and yours!
I watched and followed along with your Sketchbook Revival Tutorial with Karen Abend this afternoon. I didn’t have crayons on hand as they’re still packed in a box from our move across state lines last week, but I did have color pencils and a watercolor palette in my art bag so used that to do my two flowers. I went a bit nuts with leaves…I did flowers too, but am happy with the results. You were so fun to watch and follow along with. I totally got your coloring book thing. I loved coloring in coloring books as a girl. Every Easter I received new crayons and coloring books and filled them up. My all time favorite one was a Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo one because it was the forest and mostly landscapes. I kept it until I left home. I regret pitching it. I am more comfortable coloring than painting so, going forward I’m coloring! Do more of these! I loved it!!
Thank you SO much! 😃💕 I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the video! It was my first and totally live and unrehearsed, though that bit probably won’t surprise you, since you’ve read my posts! hehe And yay to coloring! It was sort of breakthrough for me to look at my art in that way. It took all the pressure off and let me focus on the FUN! I do plan to do more videos once I figure out a better place to set them up. And what I might DO in them, of course. It’s likely just going to be a bit of coloring time with Charlie! 😊
Coloring time with Charlie sounds great!
Back in the olden days just out of grad school, I went to visit my friends in Madison. Scott and his boyfriend and Karen all wanted to do something on Friday night that I didn’t want to do, for whatever reason. Maybe I had a headache from driving, or whatever. So I said no, they should go without me. That I didn’t mind, I would just stay at the apartment and we could do stuff the next day. No problem. So they tried to convince me, and cajole me, and make me feel like a partypooper. I just stuck to my guns. Then Scott got mad at me and called me a stubborn pigheaded Wisconsin German. Lol!😁 We’re still friends to this day, so he got over it, but turns out the world is not super tolerant of people who just do what they want to do. I always thought that was a funny incident because I was not impacting anyone. I’m actually still not sure what the big deal was.
I love this story, Lisa! 😃💕 Yeah, the world doesn’t like it when we do our own thing. The world tends to like the same thing, only different. 😉 But, there’s something to be said for being a bit pigheaded when it comes to want you really want. It keeps you true to yourself.
Awww…..cute one and coolest one!!!
Thanks so much! 😃💕 Glad you liked this!
This post basically sums up everything I want to do with my own blog, and everything I want to stand for myself 🙂 But it is hard sometimes not to worry what other people might think of the stuff I make or write about. Anyway, looks like you’ve found a pretty popular way of making a blog – or a whole brand, really – and I’m sure the main reason is just doing what you love, follow your passion and just having fun. I do certainly enjoy following along 🙂
Thank you so much! 😃💕Yeah, I really do think that in the end, following our hearts will make for the best blog ever. It becomes one you can still happily show up to each day, and if you build it like that… I always think an audience will find you and enjoy it along with you!
It is hard not to worry what others think, and it’s a distraction to think of other peoples’ opinions when creating and posting stuff.
Definitely! It’s always something in a painting I feel is not quite good enough. But I’ve decided to show everything – bad or good – anyway. It’s nice to see really bad paintings once in a while, because it’s all part of the painting process ☺
I agree… I still battle that. As I’m making something I worry that people won’t like what I’ve chosen that day. Then, I ask my inner child for help. He does a little dance and stick out his tongue and we’re back to making whatever the heck we felt like in the first place. 😉
smile.
And we have enjoyed the journey as well!
Thanks so much, Laura! 😃💕Thanks for being part of it!
If people didn’t do their own thing, things would be pretty boring around here. In my few years of teaching and designing things for our craft store, I have noticed one thing. If you do something out of the ordinary(which I tend to do a lot), as long as you get excited about it, and share that excitement with others, it is amazing how people begin to change their thinking. I am not sure why it happens, but it works! I was going to do a cute version of Darth, but opted for Steamboat Willie. 😉
I agree! When we DO things with all of our passion, that changes the game. 😃💕 People can get caught up in what we love then as well. And yay to Steamboat Willie! hehe… you reminded me I still have that Lego to put together from my birthday present! hehe
A Steamboat Willie Lego or a Disney Lego? I have not kept up on them since my son lost interest. I still love my Toy Story ones. 😛
A Steamboat Willie one!!! All in Black and white!! It’s awesome!! hehe😊
Ohhh! I’ll have to look into that! Thanks!
May the fourth be with you Charlie!
And to you as well my friend! 😃💕
Somehow this Lego Darth Vader comes across not as fierce and foreboding but as playful and friendly. Would that we could turn all the world’s bad guys into Lego figures.
Yay to that, Sharon! 😃💕 I think everything looks better in Lego in this world. hehe… the reality can be so harsh.